DJ Aristotle vs Opera

Want a catch up? Or perhaps a "mash up"?

What an interesting gig I had tonight! I filled in for Ambur Braid tonight at a Corporate Event in Montreal, where I sang with DJ Aristotle from Toronto. What a new and exciting musical experience! 

It was for Land Rover - Jaguar and they were up for something new and hip to launch their newest car. Ambur and Aristotle had worked out some beats with Opera on top, and it was really cool. If I could do it again, I think I would be more creative, but for a first go, I think it was a success! The President of the company seemed to like it, so its most important to keep him happy!

I am up for more exciting musical events to come! 

Suzanne... perhaps I should think of a hip Dj name... ;) 

Carmen

Cheers!!

I am in Orford, Quebec rehearsing for a touring version of Carmen with a wonderful cast of Canadian singers! We are enjoying the peaceful surroundings. I can't believe how wonderful it is to open up your door and have a river flowing through the backyard. Its also nice because all you can do is focus on your music and yourself. No televisions, sometimes no internet and we even lost power a couple of times due to the storm!

Anyway, I am loving the gypsy feeling!

After this rehearsal period.... its vacation time!!!

Grande Finale Reviews!

Soprano Suzanne Rigden, 25, who a pitch-perfect friend informs me emitted a perfect high F when she sang Rosina in the first-cast Barbiere, was a bright, fresh, and delicious Blonde in her duet from Mozart’sAbduction From the Seraglio


---http://www.sfcv.org/reviews/merola-opera-program/merolas-grand-promise

....and the belly-shaking comic genius of Suzanne Rigden (Elvira)

Chen and Rigden had a good turn in the Oxmin-Blonde duet from "Abduction from the Seraglio

---http://listserv.bccls.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1108c&L=OPERA-L&D=0&P=145863&D=1

 "Ich gehe doch rate ich dir" from Entführung, Suzanne Rigden was spunky as Blonde and Peixin Chen a loveable buffoon as Osmin...Suzanne Rigden managed to be a mousy Elvira, never upstaging Renée Rapier's sassy Isabella




---http://operatattler.typepad.com/opera/2011/08/merola-grand-finale-2011.html


Suzanne Rigden and Peixin Chen paired for a lively Mozartian banter from the Abduction from the seraglio with the most colorful contrast, her crystalline voice fluttering around his barreling, cavernous tone.


---http://sfist.com/2011/08/22/sfist_reviews_merola_grand_finale.php


The 2nd half opened with bass Peixin Chen & sopranoSuzanne Rigden hamming it up shamelessly in the soprano/bass duel from Entfürung.


---http://nffo.blogspot.com/2011/08/merola-grand-finale-2011.html


Thus, the selection that probably fared better than any of the others involved the synthesis of a solid score by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with an appropriately contemporary dramatic perspective in Conde’s staging.  This was the duet “Ich gehe doch rate ich dir” from the second act of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, in which Blonde’s English blood comes to a full boil when Osmin tries to treat her as his slave.  Peixin Chen’s bass voice was as hardy as it had been in his Basilio in thesecond cast of Barbiere, while Suzanne Rigden endowed Blonde with the same rebellious sass that had spiced her Rosina in the first cast.  She then kept that character in high gear in her portrayal of Elvira at the end of the program, in which all of the Merolini performed the first act finale of Rossini’s L'italiana in Algeri.


---http://www.examiner.com/classical-music-in-san-francisco/merola-grand-finale-2011


Though Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail is an opera I really have no pleasure in hearing, Suzanne Rigden and Pei Xin Chin were both in excellent form for the comedic duet. Rigden has a wonderful stage presence to match her bright, strong voice and Chen's journeyman-like work ethic and booming bass made him an audience favorite.


---http://abeastinajungle.blogspot.com/2011_08_01_archive.html


One more to add of Barber: 


Rigden went on to have an excellent overall night, with not only strong high-notes but a performance that reminded me of Reese Witherspoon's better comedic outings. 


--- http://abeastinajungle.blogspot.com/search/label/Merola

Merola Grand Finale!!

Woohoo!! Another review! What a great summer this has been!! :) I love San Francisco- and will miss it. So today I will run around the city trying to see the rest of the sights. Here is a review to check out:


Thus, the selection that probably fared better than any of the others involved the synthesis of a solid score by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with an appropriately contemporary dramatic perspective in Conde’s staging.  This was the duet “Ich gehe doch rate ich dir” from the second act of Die Entführung aus dem Serail, in which Blonde’s English blood comes to a full boil when Osmin tries to treat her as his slave.  Peixin Chen’s bass voice was as hardy as it had been in his Basilio in the second cast of Barbiere, while Suzanne Rigden endowed Blonde with the same rebellious sass that had spiced her Rosina in the first cast.  She then kept that character in high gear in her portrayal of Elvira at the end of the program

Continue reading on Examiner.com Merola Grand Finale 2011 - San Francisco classical music | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/classical-music-in-san-francisco/merola-grand-finale-2011#ixzz1VgMeYSp8

Countdown is on...

Well it is my birthday officially and seeing as I sing almost every year on my birthday, why break the tradition?! I really am quite happy to sing on my birthday and especially this year! This year we will be having our dress rehearsal with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra on the mainstage of the War Memorial Building from 6:30-9:30. I believe it is a some-what open dress rehearsal for some donors, and I just can't wait!!

I will write a wrap up post once I am home and let all of the information settle in on how everything was here....but in two words... Merola was mind blowing. I have truly learned more than I could ever imagine here, and I now know so much about my own voice and who I want to be as a performer. I couldn't be happier!

Plus, San Francisco is an amazing city!

Masterclasses and reviews

So last night we had a wonderful masterclass with Warren Jones. I was lucky enough to sing the Queen of the Night for him (second aria) and I learned so many wonderful little tricks. We worked on the forward vowels, the consonnats being crips as well as those nasty triplets! We have had three little mini masterclasses with him and then the one last public one, and I just felt like he had so many new and wonderful things to say. He was able to pinpoint exactly your problem and that one thing fixed any other problems. A great artist right there.


Oh and in other news, I messed up the time of the Grand Finale- it is at 7:30pm on Saturday August 20th. It is going to be a fabulous show! We just finished our Sitzprobe today!

Lastly, I found one more review!!

"Nary a note of ornamentation was missing from Suzanne Ridgen’s rivulets of notes pulsating forward giving wit and intelligence to a lovely Rosina...none holds a candle to Suzanne Ridgen’s lovely Rosina, especially when she’s got forks stuck in her hair to emulate the rays of the Statue of Liberty while holding a candleabra as Liberty’s torch"

http://www.starkinsider.com/2011/08/most-fun-all-summer-merolas-il-barbiere-di-siviglia.html


With the end in sight, I am feeling so blessed to have been here at Merola. I have learned so much and am crossing my fingers for the Adlers... but I shouldn't get too excited because everyone here is fabulous in their own ways! It is very exciting to have met all of these wonderful people and to know that these people will be the stars of tomorrow!! :)

Thank you for everything San Francisco!

Looking forward

Well, Barber is over, but that doesn't mean it is time to slack here at the Merola program!

We have the Merola Grande Finale just around the bend and it is usually is the determing factor for the Adler Fellowships... so it has been getting just slightly more tense around the opera building... Oh, and the fact that they have started rehearsals for Heart of a Solider means there are many wonderful people around, so now is not the time to look too "scruffy".

The Merola Grande Finale is going to be a wonderful show. There are some wonderful excerpts being performed and it will show-case many wonderful people. There are works from Dr Atomik, Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail, I Puritani, Italian Girl in Algiers.. and the list goes on!

Get your tickets soon! It is going to be an exciting show. It is at the War Memorial Opera House (Mainstage) on August 20th at 8pm.

Suzanne